Hay Fever Reviews: What the Critics Say

Hay Fever, Noël Coward's comedy with Christine Baranski and Richard E. Grant, opened at Wyndham's Theatre on 1 October 2026 and runs until 12 December. Most of the national papers gave it three stars, WhatsOnStage gave four, and the performances the critics liked best weren't the two stars but the guests.

Book Hay Fever tickets • Call us on 020 7193 9050

The Critics' Verdict

WhatsOnStage, City AM and LondonTheatre gave it four stars, and the Reviews Hub 80%. The Guardian, the Telegraph, the Times, The Stage, the Evening Standard, the Financial Times, the Independent, Time Out and BroadwayWorld all gave three.

The Stage's two words sum up where most of them landed: "Glossily amusing". WhatsOnStage's Sarah Crompton called the play "a meringue of nothingness", and meant it kindly: "Meringues aren't exactly filling, but they are fun to eat." The Times's Dominic Maxwell said "There is fun to be had in this starry revival" (3/5).

What the Reviews Praised

The guests. The four visitors the Bliss family torment got the best notices of the night. Time Out's Andrzej Lukowski called Lucy Karczewski's Jackie "the evening's best and most original performance" (3/5), and the Times found her "a quiet joy". Charles Edwards, as the diplomat Richard, was "sublimely stiff in his tailored suits" to the Times, and the Standard's Nick Curtis thought he and Nancy Carroll were "faultless" (3/5). The Independent's Alice Saville put it plainly: "the biggest joy of the evening are this couple's bewildered house guests" (3/5).

The awkward small talk. One scene came up again and again: Edwards and Karczewski left alone, trying to make conversation while their hosts ignore them. The FT's Tim Bano said Edwards "makes awkward silence an art" (3/5).

The set. Frankie Bradshaw's drawing room borrows the colours and gold trim of Wyndham's own auditorium, so the stage looks like part of the theatre. Several critics noticed, and liked it.

The second half. The Telegraph's Dominic Cavendish said "Things pick up after the interval" (3/5), and the Guardian's Emma John found "a stronger second half" (3/5). If the first act feels slow, the reviews say it's worth staying with.

Where Reviews Were Mixed

Christine Baranski. The critics didn't agree on her West End debut as Judith Bliss. The FT said "it's Baranski's show. She commands the stage like Judith does her household", City AM saw her "flipping in milliseconds between sensual and ballistic" (4/5), and the Reviews Hub called her "a good actor playing a bad actor, brilliantly" (80%). On the other side, the Telegraph found her "serviceable rather than sensational", and the Independent said she "mumbles her way through the central role".

Her English accent. This came up in a lot of reviews. The Guardian thought "a technically sound RP oddly constrains her", the Times called it "distractingly creative", and the Standard simply found it "veeeery odd".

Richard E. Grant. City AM thought he was "obviously perfect" for David Bliss, and the Telegraph called him "great fun". Time Out found "workmanlike support but no fireworks", and the Independent thought he "fades unexpectedly into the scenery". Several critics pointed out that David isn't on stage much before the interval.

How much it gives you. Time Out called it "glossy comfort theatre", and The Stage "an amusing, if unadventurous revival". The FT thought it "remains as shallow as its characters". City AM went the other way and said it "proves Coward is still an absolute king of farce".

What Audiences Said

Audiences have been a little warmer than the critics, and most public ratings are positive.

Is Hay Fever Right for You?

Book it for a classic comedy done straight, in costume, on a handsome set. Nobody is trying to reinvent Coward here, and the critics who enjoyed it enjoyed exactly that.

Book it for the supporting cast. Review after review singled out Charles Edwards and Lucy Karczewski.

Book it if you want to see Christine Baranski on a London stage. Opinions on her performance differ, but she carries the biggest part in the play.

Think twice if you're going mainly for Richard E. Grant. He's good company, but it's the smaller of the two lead parts.

Think twice if you want something with more bite. Most of the three-star reviews said it plays safe.

It runs about 2 hours 20 minutes including an interval. Not sure which date to go for? Call us on 020 7193 9050 and we'll help you choose.

Book Hay Fever Tickets

At Wyndham's Theatre, Charing Cross Road, until Saturday 12 December 2026, Monday to Saturday at 7:30pm with matinees on Wednesday and Saturday at 2:30pm. All-in pricing, so the price you see is what you pay.

Hay Fever tickets • Call us on 020 7193 9050

Sources

WhatsOnStage (Sarah Crompton, 4/5) · City AM (Adam Bloodworth, 4/5) · London Theatre (Olivia Rook, 4/5) · The Reviews Hub (John Cutler, 80%) · The Guardian (Emma John, 3/5) · The Telegraph (Dominic Cavendish, 3/5) · The Times (Dominic Maxwell, 3/5) · The Stage (Tom Wicker, 3/5) · Evening Standard (Nick Curtis, 3/5) · Financial Times (Tim Bano, 3/5) · The Independent (Alice Saville, 3/5) · Time Out (Andrzej Lukowski, 3/5) · BroadwayWorld (Aliya Al-Hassan, 3/5)